WO2023114154A1

WO2023114154A1 - Wear assembly and removal system

Info

Publication number: WO2023114154A1
Application number: PCT/US2022/052601
Authority: WO
Inventors: Darrin HARDING; Mark T. BEATLEY; Bruce C. BINGHAM
Original assignee: Esco Group Llc
Priority date: 2021-12-13
Filing date: 2022-12-12
Publication date: 2023-06-22

Abstract

A wear member may include a mounting portion with a cavity for receiving a base for mounting the wear member to the earth working equipment, an external surface, a recess in the cavity, and a hole extending from the external surface to the recess. An insert is at least partially situated in both the recess and the hole for movement relative to the wear member to facilitate removal of the wear member from the base. Optionally, the hole may receive a lock for securing the wear member to the base.. A removal tool may be installed into the hole to engage the insert to forceable engage against the base causing forward movement or removal of the wear member.

Description

WEAR ASSEMBLY AND REMOVAL SYSTEM

Field of the Disclosure

[0001] This disclosure pertains to wear assemblies for earth working equipment, and to the wear members, bases, and/or locks of the wear assemblies and to the removal thereof.

Background of the Disclosure

[0002] Earth working equipment, such as earth working buckets and the like, are used for demolition, mining, earth moving, and other similarly harsh applications. To protect the earth working equipment from wear and/or to enhance the operation of the equipment, wear parts may be attached to the earth working equipment. Such wear parts may include points, adapters, shrouds, and the like. Such wear parts are commonly subjected to harsh conditions, heavy loading, and extreme abrasion. Accordingly, the wear parts wear down over time and must be replaced, often in the field and under less than ideal conditions.

Summary of the Disclosure

[0003] This disclosure relates to wear members for wear assemblies for earth working equipment, removal tools for such wear members, and/or processes for removing the wear members.

[0004] In one example, a wear member includes a wearable body and an insert movable within the body to facilitate removal of the wear member from the base.

[0005] In one other example, a wear member includes a mounting portion with a cavity for receiving a base for mounting the wear member to the earth working equipment, an external surface, a recess in the cavity, and a hole extending from the external surface to the recess. An insert is at least partially situated in both the recess and the hole for movement relative to the wear member to facilitate removal of the wear member from the base. Optionally, the hole may receive a lock for securing the wear member to the base.

[0006] In a further example, a wear member has a cavity for receiving a base for mounting the wear member to the earth working equipment, an external surface, a hole that opens in the external surface, and a recess extending from a front surface of the cavity and communicating with a hole that opens in the external surface. Optionally, the hole may receive a lock for securing the wear member to the base.

[0007] In another example, a process of removing a wear member from a base includes providing a wear member having a cavity defined by an interior surface with a recess extending forward from a front surface of the interior surface, installing an insert in the recess such that a portion of the insert is partially situated into a hole, and inserting a removal tool through the hole to engage the insert and force the insert rearward against the base to move the wear member forward relative to the base.

[0008] In one other example, an insert to facilitate removal of a wear member from earth working equipment may include a front end to penetrate a hole open to an exterior surface, a rear bearing surface, and a stop. The front end being sized and shaped to engage a removal tool inserted into the hole to apply a rearward force on the insert.

[0009] In one other example, a wear member has a cavity having an internal surface for receiving a base of an earth working equipment, an external surface, and lock hole for receiving a lock to secure the wear member to the base, and a recess extending from a front surface of the internal surface and communicating with the lock hole An insert is in the recess and in the lock hole to engage a removal tool that applies rearward force against the insert to facilitate removal of the wear member from the base.

[0010] In a further example, a wear member having a mounting portion for engaging a base for mounting the wear member to the earth working equipment. The mounting portion having an internal surface for mating with the base, an opposite external surface, and a hole extending from a front surface of the internal surface and including two converging side surfaces.

[0011] In another example, an insert for facilitating removal of a wear member from earth working equipment may include a front end having a concave portion to engage a threaded wedge. The wear member and the insert are assembled together prior to installation of the wear member on a base in a position capable of being shipped, stored and/or installed as a single component.

[0012] In yet another example, a wear member includes a wearable body with a working front end, a rear end with a cavity for mounting a base therein, and an insert. The cavity includes an opening at the rear end wherein the base is received therethrough and a front surface opposite the rear opening, and a recess in the front surface. The insert having a front end and a rear end, wherein the insert is movably positioned in the recess in the front surface of the cavity to facilitate removal of the wear member from the base.

[0013] In one example, a wear member for earth working equipment includes a wearable body having a working front end, a rear end with a cavity for mounting a base therein, a hole that opens in an external surface, and recess extending from the front surface of the cavity and communicating with the hole. The cavity includes an open rear end through which the base is received and an opposite front surface.

[0014] A removal assembly for a wear member of an earth working equipment including a wear member having a wearable body having a working front end and a rear end with a cavity for mounting a base therein, wherein the cavity includes an open rear end through which the base is received and an opposite front surface; a hole that opens in an external surface; and a recess extending from the front surface of the cavity and communicating with the hole; an insert within the recess and in the hole; and a removal tool receivable in the hole to engage the insert to apply a rearward force against the insert to facilitate removal of the wear member from the base.

[0015] A method of removing a wear member from a base including mounting a wear member on a base of an excavating equipment, wherein the wear member has an exterior surface, a cavity defined by an interior surface to receive the base, a recess extending forward from a front of the interior surface, a hole extending from the exterior surface to the recess, and an insert in the recess such that a portion of the insert is partially situated into the hole; and inserting a removal tool through the hole to engage the insert and force the insert rearward against the base to move the wear member forward relative to the base.

[0016] The advantages of the removal assemblies and wear assemblies of the present disclosure will be more readily understood after considering the drawings and the Detailed Description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wear assembly including a wear member, an adapter, a base, locks, and a removal tool according to the disclosure.

[0018] Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the wear assembly of Fig. 1.

[0019] Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of the interior of the wear member of Fig. 1 with the insert being installed in the wear member prior to wear member being mounting to the adapter.

[0020] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a insert of Fig. 2.

[0021] Fig. 5 is a front view of the insert of Fig. 2.

[0022] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a lock hole of a wear member of Fig. 1 with the insert installed within the lock hole.

[0023] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the wear assembly including a wear member, a base, and a removal tool installed in a lock hole of the wear member.

[0024] Fig. 8 is a cross-section view of Fig. 7 taken along line 8-8.

[0025] Fig. 9 is a cross-section view of Fig. 7 taken along line 8-8 with the removal tool further installed downward.

[0026] Fig. 10 is a cross-section view of Fig. 7 taken along line 10-10 with the lock removed and the removal assembly installed.

[0027] Fig. 11 is perspective view of a tool for rigidly gripping the wear member and hydraulically operating a removal tool to remove the wear member.

Detailed Description of the Disclosure

[0028] The present disclosure pertains to a wear assembly for earth working equipment and a process for removing components of the wear assembly. [0029] While the disclosure herein includes examples of securing or removing an adapter from a base, wear assemblies and processes in accordance with this disclosure may be used in securing and removing other kinds of wear parts such as points, tips, shrouds, runners, picks, hammers, etc. Likewise, although excavating buckets are disclosed herein as the earth working equipment, other kinds of earth working equipment could be used such as dredge cutter heads, shredders, roll crushers, chutes, truck bodies, etc. Relative terms such as front, rear, top, bottom and the like are used for convenience of discussion. The terms front or forward are generally used to indicate the normal direction of travel during use (e.g., while digging), and upper or top are generally used as a reference to the surface over which the material passes when, for example, it is gathered into the bucket. Nevertheless, it is recognized that in the operation of various earth working machines the wear assemblies may be oriented in various ways and move in all kinds of directions during use.

[0030] In the illustrated example of Figs. 1-2, a wear assembly 14 is an excavating tooth that attaches to a lip 15 of a bucket. The illustrated tooth 14 includes an adapter (or intermediate adapter) 19 mounted to lip 15, and a point or tip 10 mounted onto the adapter 19. Locks 16 are used to secure the adapter 19 to the lip 15 and tip 10 to adapter 19.

[0031] The adapter 19 is mounted onto a nose or base 18 that projects from a front end of the lip 15. The base 18 may be an integral portion of the earth working equipment as shown (such as a digging edge of a bucket) or may be a separate component attached to such equipment (e.g., a base adapter) by, e.g., welding, or mechanical attachment. While one tooth construction is shown, other tooth arrangements using some or all of the aspects disclosed herein are possible. As an alternative, a point as the wear member could be secured to an intermediate adapter that is directly mounted onto a base adapter welded or mechanically secured on a lip as a base providing the nose.

[0032] In this application, for purposes of explanation, the adapter 19 is referred to as a wear member mounted on a base 18. Similarly, the point 10 is also considered a wear member that mounts on the adapter 19 functioning as the base. In another example, a point could be secured directly to a base defined by a nose of the lip or a base adapter (i.e., without an intermediate adapter). In other examples, as noted above, the wear member may be a shroud mounted on a lip as the base, a wear cap mounted on an adapter as the base, a runner mounted on a mounting support as the base, and the like.

[0033] In the illustrated example, the tip 10 has a generally wedge-shaped configuration with a top wall 20 and a bottom wall 22 that converge to a narrow front end 24 to engage and penetrate the ground during operation of the equipment. Tip 10 has a mounting end 21 on the opposite, rear end that includes a cavity 26 (Fig. 2). The top wall 20 of wear member 10 includes a through-hole 67 that aligns with a hole 66 in the adapter 19 when wear member 10 is mounted on a forwardly-projecting nose 48 of the adapter 19 (Fig. 1). The rearwardly- opening cavity 26 is sized and shaped to receive the nose 48. Locks 16 are used to secure wear member 10 to adapter 19, and adapter 19 to nose 18 (e.g., the lip of the earth working machine). In this example, the locks 16 that secure both the wear member 10 to base 19 and the base 19 to nose 18 are the same, but other configurations are possible. For example, they could be dimensioned differently, have different constructions, or could be completely different locks.

[0034] The adapter 19 includes a rearwardly-opening cavity 17 to receive nose 18 at the front end of the lip 15. The cavity 17 and nose 18 are preferably configured as disclosed in US Patent 9,222,243, which is incorporated herein by reference, but other nose and cavity constructions could be used. In the illustrated example, a hole 66 is formed in a central portion of nose 48 and opens in top and bottom surfaces 58, 60 of the nose, though it could alternatively open only in top surface 58, open in one or more other surfaces (e.g., the sidewalls of adapter 19), or be located off center. The hole 66 is defined by an inner surface 68 (Fig. 6).

[0035] Referring to Fig. 3, the cavity 17 preferably includes a front wall 114. A recess 56 extends from the front wall 114 forward towards the forwardly-projecting nose 48 (Fig. 10). The hole 66 communicates with the recess 56 formed in the front wall 114 of the cavity 17 (Fig. 10). In the illustrated example, recess 56 is parallel and aligned with a longitudinal axis A that runs in the primary direction of material flow, but in other examples the recess 56 may be offset from the longitudinal axis (Fig. 1). In the illustrated example, the hole 66 has a perpendicular relationship with the recess 56, but other configurations are possible. The recess 56 is illustrated as having a forward portion 55 and a rear portion 72 (Fig. 10). The forward portion includes a top surface 60, a bottom surface, 62, and side surfaces 64, but other configurations are possible (Figs. 8-9). The side surfaces 64 are illustrated as converging toward the forward end (Fig. 10) and the top and bottom surfaces as generally parallel (Figs. 8 and 9), but other configurations are possible. For example, the top and bottom surfaces could be converging, they could all be converging, or none of the surfaces can be converging. The rear portion 72 is optional and may or may not be included in the design. The rear portion 72 has the role of acting as a stop for an insert 50 installed in the recess 56 but other kinds of stops preventing further forward motion are possible.

[0036] In the illustrated example, the rear portion 72 likewise includes a top surface 80, a bottom surface 82, and side surfaces 84 that extend in the longitudinal direction A, but other shapes are possible (Figs. 8-9). The rear portion 72 includes stop surfaces 86, 88, and 90. Stop surface 86 being adjacent to top surfaces 60, 80. Stop surface 88 is adjacent bottom surfaces 62, 82. Stop surfaces 90 are adjacent side surfaces 64, 84. The stop surfaces 86, 88, 90 bear against complementary surfaces on the insert 50. The stop surfaces 86, 88, 90 are perpendicular to the rear portion surfaces 80, 82, 84, but other angles are possible. [0037] Referring to Figs. 4-5, an insert 50 is illustrated as having a body 92 and a head or rear block portion 94. The body 92 projects outward in a perpendicular direction to the head 94. The body 92 being sized and shaped to be installed within the front portion 55 of the recess 56 and the head 94 being sized and shaped to be installed within the rear portion 72 of the recess 56. In the illustrated example, the head 94 is larger in size than the body 92, but other configurations are possible. The body 92 includes a top surface 96, a bottom surface 98, and side surfaces 100. The side surfaces 100 are illustrated as converging in a forward direction, but other configurations are possible. The body surfaces 96, 98, 100 may or may not bear against the forward portion surfaces 60, 62, 64 and some looseness can be tolerated. [0038] The body 92 of the insert (and optionally the head) is preferably lubricated (e.g., by oil, grease, Anti-Seize, and the like), such that the body 92 is able to move more easily within the recess 56. A bearing member (not shown) could also optionally be included between the surfaces of recess 56 and insert 92 with or without lubrication. Insert 92 can have a wide variety of configurations. Seals (not shown) could optionally be provided to limit the ingress of earthen fines.

[0039] A removal tool 11 can cooperate with the insert 50 to facilitate removal of the wear member 19 from the base 18. The removal tool 11 is inserted into the hole 66 to fit between and press against the front portion 58 of hole surface 68 and the front surface 102 of insert 50 so as to force the two surfaces apart to facilitate separation of the wear member 19 from the base 18 (Fig. 9).

[0040] In the illustrated embodiment, removal tool 11 is a threaded wedge, which can be the same or similar to the wedge disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 7,171 ,771 , which is incorporated by reference herein. The tool or wedge 11 is illustrated as having a frusto-conical shape with a rounded exterior surface 10 that tapers toward an inner end 18 (Figs. 8-9). A thread formation 22, illustrated in the form of a helical groove 20 with a wide pitch, is formed along an exterior surface 13 of the wedge, but other configurations are possible. Accordingly, a rather wide, helically shaped land segment exists between the adjacent spiraling groove segments. This land segment presents a large surface area to press against a front surface 102 of insert 50 in the adapter 19 and therein exerting a force F on the nose 48 of the base 15 (Fig. 9). The wide pitch of the threads 22 also permits the removal tool 11 to be quickly moved into and out of an opening 66. Nevertheless, removal tools having different constructions (e.g. a cam, a wedge, and the like) are possible provided they are insertable in a hole in the wear member and between the hole surface and the insert to move the insert away from the hole surface.

[0041] The body 92 of the insert 50 is illustrated as having a front surface 102 with a thread formation 104, but other configurations are possible to facilitate the bearing and/or interaction from removal tool 11 . The thread formation 104 being complementary to the thread formation 22 of the wedge 11. The head 94 being rectangularly cuboid in shape, but other shapes are possible (e.g., cylindrical). As noted above, head 94 can be omitted and the insert prevented from undue forward motion by other kinds of stops and/or configurations of the insert. The head 94 includes a rearward surface 105 and an oppositely positioned abutment surface 106 that is adjacent to and surrounds the main body 92 of the insert 50. The abutment surface 106 bearing against the stop surfaces 86, 88, 90 of the rear portion 72 of the recess 56 when the insert 50 is fully installed within the recess. The base 58 when installed within cavity 17 may also engage the rearward surface 105 of the block portion 94 or the main body 92 to apply pressure to the stop surfaces 86, 88, 90 from the abutment surface 106, but other configurations are possible. The insert 50 may be constructed of the same or different material than the wear member.

[0042] Referring to Fig. 6, when the insert 50 is fully installed within the recess 56, a forward portion of the insert penetrates into the lock hole 66. The insert 50 and recess 56 are positioned low enough in the lock hole 66, so as not to disturb the functionality of the lock 16 that is positioned into holes 66, 67 to lock the base 19 to the wear member 10. In other examples, a bottom of the lock could engage the top surface 96 of the insert 50. In another example, a sensor (not shown) may be installed at this forward portion of the insert 50 to monitor the presence of the lock 16 within holes 66, 67. Optionally, a hole not associated with the lock could be used to receive removal tool 11 .

[0043] Wear member 19, insert 50, and/or a lock 16 in combination may be considered a wear assembly, which may optionally be sold, shipped, stored, and/or installed as a single unit (i.e., where the insert is installed in wear member at the time of manufacture). Such a construction reduces inventory and storage needs, ensures the insert is always available for use to ease the removal of the wear member. Nevertheless, if desired, insert 50 could be installed following manufacture such as prior to mounting the wear member on the base; or at any time between manufacture and installation of the wear member on the equipment.

[0044] The insert 50 is received into recess 56 prior to installation of the wear member 19 onto the base 15, such that the abutment surface 106 engages the stop surfaces 86, 88, 90 and the insert 50 penetrates into the hole 66. The wear member 19 is mounted on the nose 18 of the base. In the illustrated example, front face 116 of the nose 18 bears against the rearward facing front wall 114 of the cavity 17 of the wear member 19 when the wear member is installed. Nevertheless, in other wear assemblies, the front face of the base may or may not bear against the front face of the cavity.

[0045] To remove the wear member 19 from the nose or base 18, the tip 10 may be removed from the wear member 19. This is done by releasing the lock 16 securing tip 10 to adapter 19 such that the lock no longer engages nose 48. In the illustrated embodiment, locks 16 are integrally secured tips 10. Nevertheless, the pins of lock 10 could be removed or the lock could be removed entirely if different locks were used. Locks 16 are also released in and/or removed from the lock holes 66, 67 in adapter 19 (i.e., the locks securing adapter 19 to nose 18).

[0046] The removal tool 11 is inserted within the hole 66 between front surface 58 of wall 68 and front surface 102 of insert 50. In the illustrated embodiment, thread formation 22 on tool 11 engages the complementary thread formation 104 on insert 50 (Figs. 7-10). As the wedge shaped tool 11 is further threaded downwardly, a perpendicular or rearward force F is applied to the front wall 102 of the insert 50. The force F is then transferred to the rearward surface 105 of the insert 50 to engage the front face 116 of the nose 18 (Fig. 9). The rearward force and the transitory movement of the insert 50 applies pressure in an opposite direction of force F against the front wall portion 58 to separate the wear member 19 from the base 15 (Fig. 8). The application of this force aids in removal and creates a safer and easier removal process for the workers. The process may also aid situations where the adapter is stuck from fines or earthen material.

[0047] Operation of removal tool 11 can be a manual process by a worker at the site and/or as part of a removal apparatus for replacing wear members. Referring to Fig. 11 , a tool 25 can be used to remove and install wear members 19. Such a tool may, e.g., be one such as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 11 ,015,324, Wear Assembly Removal and Installation or U.S. Patent No. 10,988,916, Handling system for ground-engaging wear parts secured to earth working equipment, each of which are incorporated by reference herein. The tool 25 may, e.g., be brought to the excavating equipment 1 needing maintenance or to staging area so that the wear parts may be replaced even when the earth working equipment is in a remote location and the wear parts must be replaced in the field.

[0048] The tool 25, for example, may include a mobile base with at least one manipulator 29 and at least one controller such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) with programmable logic. The controller can be a single CPU, or a combination of CPUs located, for example, in the auxiliary tools, manipulators and/or a service vehicle. The controllers can be in a remote location or, as described below, can be manually operated or partially manually operated. In another alternative, the tool 25 may be semi or fully automated and programmed to drive to the mining excavator 1 needing wear members 15 replaced.

[0049] In the illustrated example, the tool 25 includes an auxiliary tool 97 having, e.g., a gripping tool 98 to hold the wear member and a driving tool 95 to release the lock 16 and/or drive removal tool 11 . The driving tool 95 can be the lock release mechanism or a separate mechanism.

[0050] In this example, driving tool 95 is provided with an adjustment mechanism 99 that can adjust the position of the removal tool 95 without adjusting the overall position of the manipulator 29 (i.e., the manipulator has fine control). The adjustment mechanism 99 provides the driving tool 95 with two or more degrees of freedom so that the removal tool 95 can move from side to side and up and down without adjusting the position of the manipulator arm 29.

[0051] The driving tool 95 is shown as having a driving wedge 201 , though other tools are possible, to enable the outward force required to push the wear member off of the mount 15. A combined tool may combine any of the various auxiliary tools that removes and installs the wear member to the base. For example, a combined tool may combine more than two auxiliary tools together (e.g., the combined tool may have an auxiliary tool to grip the wear member, an auxiliary tool to remove fines, and an auxiliary tool to remove and install a lock, a driving wedge to remove the wear member, and the like). In another example, one auxiliary tool may do two tasks, e.g. securing a wear member with a vertical pin and being tapered to also perform the vertical task of being a driving wedge to apply force to remove the wear member.

Claims

1 . A wear member for earth working equipment comprising: a wearable body having a working front end, a rear end with a cavity for mounting a base therein, wherein the cavity includes an opening at the rear end wherein the base is received therethrough and an opposite front surface, and a recess in the front surface; and an insert having a front end and a rear end, wherein the insert is movably positioned in the recess in the front surface of the cavity to facilitate removal of the wear member from the base.

2. The wear member of claim 1 , wherein the wearable body includes a hole extending from an external surface to the recess.

3. The wear member of claim 2, wherein the insert is at least partially situated in both the recess and the hole.

4. The wear member of claim 2 or 3, wherein the hole receives a lock that secures the wear member to the base.

5. The wear member of any one of claims 1-4, wherein the recess forwardly converges and the insert includes a body having side surfaces that converge towards a front end of the insert.

6. The wear member of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the rear end of the insert includes a head that extends laterally outward from the body and acts as a stop for the insert in the recess.

7. The wear member of any one of claims 1 -6, wherein the front end of the insert includes a partial threaded surface.

8. A wear member for earth working equipment comprising: a wearable body having a working front end, a rear end with a cavity for mounting a base therein, wherein the cavity includes an open rear end through which the base is received and an opposite front surface; a hole that opens in an external surface; and a recess extending from the front surface of the cavity and communicating with the hole.

9. The wear member of claim 8 including a lock in the hole and a movable insert in the recess. A removal assembly for a wear member of an earth working equipment comprising: a wear member having: a wearable body having a working front end and a rear end with a cavity for mounting a base therein, wherein the cavity includes an open rear end through which the base is received and an opposite front surface; a hole that opens in an external surface; and a recess extending from the front surface of the cavity and communicating with the hole; an insert within the recess and in the hole; and a removal tool receivable in the hole to engage the insert to apply a rearward force against the insert to facilitate removal of the wear member from the base. The removal assembly of claim 10, wherein the insert has a front end formed with a thread formation and the removal tool is a threaded wedge that engages the threads on the insert. A method of removing a wear member from a base comprising: mounting a wear member on a base of an excavating equipment, wherein the wear member has an exterior surface, a cavity defined by an interior surface to receive the base, a recess extending forward from a front of the interior surface, a hole extending from the exterior surface to the recess, and an insert in the recess such that a portion of the insert is partially situated into the hole; and inserting a removal tool through the hole to engage the insert and force the insert rearward against the base to move the wear member forward relative to the base. The method of claim 10, wherein a lock securing the wear member to the base is removed from the hole prior to inserting the removal tool through the hole.